St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-05
From Fifteen to Twenty Passengers
Cremated and Many Others
Injured.
Was Drunk-A Widows Be-
reavement.

reaVenent.
TIFFIN, O.. Jan. 4.-One of the most
horrible and heartrending accidents ever
chronicled occurred near Republic, about
eight miles east of here. at 2 o'clock this
morning At l o'clock an east bound freight
train, i'll charge of Conductor Fletcher,
pulled out of this city, having received or
ders to sidetrack at the Scipio siding to
allow the east bound express to pass. After
the passenger train had gone the conductor,
being
WITHOUT SPECIAL ORDERS,
exercised his own Judgment, and deter
mined that inaSmuch as he had half an hour
to make the switch at Republic, little less
than five miles distant, before the arrival of
the fast express from the East, due at that
point at 2 O'Clock. he would pull out. The
night was bitter cold, and much difficulty
was experienced in keeping up steam i'll
the engine. Finally, at a point half a mile
west of Republic, the train came to a
stand still, being unable to move further.
just here was made the horrible mistake
which resulted in the loss of many lives
and the destruction Of thousands or dollars
worth of property. Although the con-
ductor must have known that he was en-
croaching dangerously near the time Of the
express. he did not send out the signal
until after his train had come to stand
still. and he found it impossible to move
further He then started forward with the
lantern himself. AT this point there is a
sharp curve, and Conductor Fletcher had
not proceeded more than the length of
twenty cars when he saw the headlight of
the approaching express rounding the curve
not more than forty rods distant, and run
ming at the lightning speed of
SIXTY. THREE MILES PER HOUR.
Honor-Stricken with the knowledge that
trghtful accident could not be averted
he flashed his light in the face of the en-
gineer, Lem Eastman. The latter at the
same moment saw the light of the freight
engine, and. giving wild shrek of the
engine for brakes, he reversed his engine
and jumped for his life, crashing through
the window of the cab, carrying glass and
sash with him, and alighted in a heavy
snow drift. He escaped serious injury, his
hurts being confined 10 a slight wound upon
his knee. As he realized the danger he
called to his fireman. William Fredericks
to save himself. The latter was engaged
in stoking the fire. and raised up and hesi-
tated an instant to glance forward as if to
estimate the danger. This was fatal, as at
that instant the crash came and poor fred
erickS was pinned and crushed by the mass
of the wreck. The effect of the collision
an be better imagined than described. The
engines Of the two trains
REARED INTO THE AIR
like a pair of enraged living monsters and
then settled down upon the track, driven
into each other until the cylinders touched.
The force of the impact jammed the bag
gage cars into the tender in the fast train,
the express car into the baggage and the
same into the express. In less than five
minutes from the moment of the collision,
and before any organized effort at rescue
could be made, the fire of the overturned
stoves communicated to the woodwork. and
the flames leaped high into the air. theil
roar mingling with the cries of anguish OF
the imprisoned victims to whom death in its
most terrible form was horrible presence.
The train men and uninjured passengers
were powerlesS and could do nothing tC
rescue the sufferers. The express train was
in charge of Conductor Tom Haskell Ell
gineer Tim Eastman and Fireman William
FrederckS. and consisted of Engine No.
T26, a mail and baggage car, express,
smoker, coach and two SleeperS. The freight
train was in charge of Conductor Fletcher,
Engineer Killer and Fireman w. J. Culli-
SOL, and consisted of Engine No. 925 and
sixteen loaded and few empty gondoaS.
The smoker contained from twelve to fif-
teen passengers, some of whom were immi-
grants. Three men
ESCAPED ALIVE,
but their names were not learned. Bag
gagemaster W. T. Gates, of Newark, was
the only man in his car, and he was hurt
in both legs. the left ley being cut in sew
eral places and a splinter or rod had rur
into his right foot. {. P. Bradley, Of
Washington. D. c., was found hanging
from the window of the smoker but hi.
legs were fast and he could not be removed
There he remained until he burned tC
death, and his charred remains fell to the
ground black and shapeess mass. He
was conscious and gave his address to the
oystanders. and also said that he was al
officer in the Knights of Labor organiZa
tion. He gave his watch and other valua
bles he could get from his pockets
to Conductor Fletcher, of the freight
train. Joseph PoStlethwaite, aged 81,
and his sons, Spencer aged IS, and Henry
II. were sitting in the same seat in the
smoker, and their charred remains were
found in the ruins Of the cars. Mr.. Postle
thwaite, his wife, the two boys, a 7-year-
old girl by former wife. a little boy of {
years. and baby girl OF years, had sole
their farm of $50 acres in WeAell county
w. Va, and were moving to Chilicothe
Mo-, near where PostlethwaAe had {
brother living, and where he would make
his future home. He had about $500 il
cash, a check for $780, and several notes il
his pocket, and these were burned with his
body. leaving
THE POOR WIDOW,
with three children, no clothing except wha
she wore, and 80 cents i'll money. He
husband and the two boys had left her bu
a few moments before and gone from tn,
coach to the smoker. Postlethwaite, as
half-melted medal found in the wreck indi
Gated. was a soldier in the Union ranks il
the late war, being member of compan,
A. Seventeenth regiment. West Virgini
volunteer infantry. William Fredericks
fireman of the express, was caught betweel
the tender and engine and lived for tw,
hours, but it was found impossible TO effec
his release. His mother is a widow ant
''--e in Washington. He was membe